As the days get warmer and colorful spring flowers burst out of hiding, we begin to think about our backyard gardens and the beautiful, healthy produce we plan to grow this summer and fall. Vegetable seedlings are flying off the shelves of local gardening stores, and—if you’re like me—I’m already imagining hosting casual dinner parties that showcase just-plucked, still-warm-from-the-sun tomatoes and cucumbers.

If you want to give your veggies a real boost this season, consider making your own compost to integrate into your garden soil. Compost improves the structure and texture of almost any type of soil, enabling it to better retain nutrients, moisture, and air—which in turn greatly benefits your growing plants.

• How composting works
• What materials you should and should not compost
• Getting the right balance of food, air and moisture
•Maintaining your compost pile
• Vermicomposting (composting with worms)

The next seminar will be held on Saturday, May 11 at the MLK Jr. Community Garden, located at 3669 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The seminar runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. No advance registration is necessary, but instructors ask that you RSVP if you plan to attend. You can RSVP at www.facebook.com/SacRecycle.

And another exciting reason to attend—participants are eligible for a drawing for a free compost bin!